Thursday, February 16, 2017

NUCLEAR WEAPONS BAN NEGOTIATIONS: An Opportunity to Repent?

Preparatory meetings for the UN conference to negotiate a legally
binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their
total elimination, commence today. The first full meetings will take place at the end of March at the UN in New York.

Which leads me to a modest recommendation . . . .

Nuclear Ban Treaty Negotiations -- United Nations, New York
27-31 March 2017 / 15 June - 7 July 2017

What if faith leaders everywhere spoke out on the need to
support the effort to ban nuclear weapons? This seems particularly
important in the US, Canada, Australia, and most of the countries of
Europe, whose governments are opposing these negotiations. (See: Who would possibly vote "NO" to banning nuclear weapons??? )

For instance, Christian leaders could designate Sunday, March 26 -- the day before the UN sessions begin -- as a day to lift up this important peace work. This date midway through Lent seems appropriate for talking about the need to make a change, while there's still time.

Woodcut print by Sadao Watanabe

I've checked the lectionary for the day. It includes John 9:1-41. ("One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.") A fitting text . . . .